The present invention relates to an input apparatus and, more particularly, to an input apparatus that allows those who are severely physically handicapped for example to enter characters by shifting their heads and operating a breath-operated switch while looking at an image display device on which entered characters are shown.
A character input apparatus, or a word processor for those who are severely physically handicapped for example is known in which all input operations are performed by blinking of the eye of an operator.
In such a known word processor, a screen on which various characters are regularly arranged is shown on the monitor display and this screen is scanned horizontally with a vertical slit and vertically with a horizontal slit. The operator blinks his or her eye when the vertical slit has reached a column that contains a desired character and blinks his or her eye again when the horizontal slit has reached a row that contains the desired character. Thus, the character located at the intersection of these slits is selected. Repeating these operations, the operator can enter desired characters to form a sentence for example.
Because the known word processor is operated all by the blinking of the eye of the operator, those who are handicapped in the hand for example can also enter characters. However, some operators are in the habit of blinking comparatively often, while others blink unintentionally mainly due to the strain caused by operating the word processor. The improper blinks lead to erroneous entering of characters, requiring frequent cancellation of the erroneously entered characters.